Category: environmentalism
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Stork Spotting Near Nyon
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA few days ago I was sitting at a desk when I noticed unusual shadows on the tiles outside. I went to see what was causing them. When I looked up I saw hundreds of storks flying in circles above my home. They were heading towards Geneva. I considered getting on…
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Reading Time: 3 minutesOn Friday I cycled in to Geneva to drop off my bike for a quick check after I noticed that when I shifted gears in one direction it seemed to block. I could have hung around for three or four hours waiting for the bike to be ready but chose to leave…
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Mediocre Content, YouTube, and Children
Reading Time: 4 minutesAs long as two years ago I stopped paying for YouTube Premium because I was disgusted by the crap that it was recommending to me. Within the last week the United Kingdom has requested that websites age verify their users in order to allow them to use a site. At first this…
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The Weekend Without Social Cycling Plans
Reading Time: 2 minutesFor the first time in weeks I have no social plans this weekend due to two factors. The first is weather. It’s meant to rain both days so I’d rather not plan to do something that needs to be cancelled due to bad weather. The second reason is due to the selfish…
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The Curious Habit of Dressing to Be Cold
Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the strangest things, in my observation of other people, is that they dress as if it was warm when it was cold. They dress in shorts and t-shirts to walk in the mountains in spring. That’s quite absurd, given how the mountains, in April tend to be cold. Others dress…
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Cycling and Suspected Heat Exhaustion
Reading Time: 3 minutesOver the last week I have cycled, and climbed over 3000m. Yesterday I climbed 1664 meters over an 89 kilometre ride. It was divided into the first climb, from the Léman towards La Cure, then a flat bit, ridden fast, before getting to the climb to Marchairuz and that is when I…
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The Beauty of Flowing Air
Reading Time: 4 minutesPeople think that to be comfortable on a hot day you need to rush to an air conditioned room or building but that idea is wrong. When I worked on one building, for three years, I called it "air conditioned hell" for a simple reason. For the body to cool it needs…
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Waking Early to Cycle
Reading Time: < 1 minuteI think that tomorrow I will wake between 05:00-05:30 to be ready at the meeting point to go for a bike ride that starts at 06:30. The start is early because it is meant to be a "ride before work" for this group. The pace is tempo. On the flat I…
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On Being Able to Walk to a Recycling Centre
Reading Time: 3 minutesFor a few days I fled from the Caribana music festival because during this event it is impossible to sleep due to noise pollution. Switzerland, despite being so strict about other forms of noise pollution is lax about the noise pollution from music festivals. Most people plan holidays to flee it. I…
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Two Interpretations of Mobilité Douce
Reading Time: 3 minutesMy definition of Mobilité Douce and the Swiss definition are quite different. For me Mobilité Douce is walking, hiking, cycling and other sports that require a certain dedication and desire to cover long distances. In contrast Switzerland seems to see Mobilité Douce as going from home to the shops, while leaving the…